Yass Minor Rugby League: We would like to once again share our condolences with Lui Polimeni’s family, friends, and the Gundagai Tigers. Some of our under 16 boys and under 18 girls knew Lui and have been very saddened by his loss. Along with the under 16 Queanbeyan Kangaroos and under 18 Gungahlin Bulls girls they observed a minute silence and fielded black arm bands as a sign of their respect and support.

Harden Murrumburrah Junior League

So proud today of all sporting codes that have made time to honour a life taken way too soon today well done to all the Bulls and Bullettes

Dylan Arabin: Today i played for you Lui Polimeni and so did everyone else, you helped us to our 10-4 win. Fly hight mate. ‪#‎PlayLikeLui‬

Yass Junior Rugby Union Club: Fun in the rain! ‪#‎playlikelui‬

Harden Soccer Club: One minute’s silence for our friend & mate Lui. Thankyou to everyone who gathered together, so much love & respect for a beautiful young man.‪#‎livelikelui‬ ‪#‎playlikelui‬

Shaythomas200: Minute silence for the one and only Lui #forlui #playlikelui #rememberlui

Five Parramatta Eels directors and officials suspended over alleged salary-cap rorting claim the NRL did not give them a proper chance to respond before they were publicly named and shamed in preliminary findings against the club.

In the NSW Supreme Court on Tuesday, barrister Arthur Moses, SC, said suspended chairman Steve Sharp, directors Tom Issa and Peter Serrao, chief executive John Boulous and football operations manager Daniel Anderson were not afforded procedural fairness by the governing body and as a result the suspensions were void and of no effect.

“In effect there’s been a public flogging of the plaintiffs because of the way the allegations have been made public without the opportunity to respond to them,” Mr Moses said.

But counsel for the NRL, Lachlan Gyles, SC, accused the quintet of taking legal action against their interim suspensions “to stay in their roles and continue to exert influence over the club” pending the NRL’s final determination as to penalties for “systemic rorting of the salary cap”.

Mr Gyles said it was unclear why the five men wanted to do so, given there was no evidence the club wanted them to stay on, or that it would reinstate them should they manage to have the interim suspensions overturned.

The NRL says it suspended the so-called “gang of five” from being registered club officials in line with its own rules when, on May 3, it announced a raft of provisional sanctions for alleged salary cap indiscretions.

Pending a final investigation, the club could be docked 12 competition points and fined $1 million.

But Mr Moses told Justice James Stevenson there was nothing in the NRL rules that allowed League Central to suspend an official without going through a process including the issuing of show-cause notices and providing a proper opportunity to respond.

He said the interim suspensions were announced at an NRL press conference about a breach notice served to the club, and the quintet were told their registrations would be cancelled in five days unless they could show cause as to why they shouldn’t.

The five men were given notice of their immediate suspension three hours before the press conference.

“Serious allegations were made in a public forum that [salary cap rorting] was done with the knowledge and support of the board and senior executives, and this was made public within a short time of the notices being provided to the plaintiffs,” Mr Moses said.

“Our friends [the NRL] say they had to jump in to protect the integrity of the game, but [the investigation] has been going on for a year and there is no explanation as to why they pulled the trigger on May 3 and why they couldn’t afford procedural fairness.”

The cancellation of the plaintiffs’ registration results in serious consequences for their “livelihoods and reputations”, Mr Moses said.

However, Mr Gyles said that, under the rules, the NRL was not required to afford procedural fairness when issuing an automatic, interim suspension.

Mr Gyles said procedural fairness was only required before a final determination to cancel a person’s registration was made.

He said the NRL had satisfied that requirement by giving the plaintiffs until June 3 to show cause why they should not have their registrations cancelled.

Further, the NRL is an independent appeal panel which can hear a challenge to any decision on registrations made by chief executive Todd Greenberg.

And he said, in issuing the interim suspensions, the NRL was not telling the five what they could or couldn’t do during the interim period, including how they discharged their duties as directors or officials.

During the hearing, the NRL agreed not to make its final decision on the fate of the five men until June 13 to give Justice Stevenson time to hand down judgment.

This story Administrator ready to work first appeared on Nanjing Night Net.

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Feb 19, 2019

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Comments Off on By George, no Rose: suspension rules former NRL cult figure out of CYMS clash

ROSE OUT: George Rose makes a run for the Oberon Tigers against Blayney. Suspension will prevent him from doing so at Wade Park in two weeks’ time. 2216agoberon1RUGBY LEAGUE

ORANGE has been robbed of a chance to see former NRL cult-figure George Rose in action after the premiership-winning big man copped a two-game suspension at the judiciary last week.

Rose missed last weekend’s round eight 28-24 loss to St Pat’s in Bathurst – the Tigers first defeat of the season – and will also be forced to sit out the return clash with defending Group 10 premiers CYMS at Wade Park during the June 19 round 10 fixture. The Tigers have a bye in round nine.

A member of Manly’s 2011 premiership-winning outfit, Rose copped a reckless high tackle charge after the Tigers’ win over Blayney in round seven, a hit that carries a total of 279 points or – with 100 points equalling one week on the sidelines – a two-week suspension.

Oberon president Ian Christie-Johnson said the club fought to have the charge downgraded to careless, but the three-man judiciary panel deemed the evidence sufficient enough to uphold the original charge.

“That’s footy, isn’t it … the bounce of the ball, the luck of the draw,” Christie-Johnson said.

“They’ve shot themselves in the foot a bit with their crowds though.”

Rose’s absence from the Tigers’ line-up for the CYMS clash is now the second time the former Preston Campbell Medal winner, awarded to the best player in the NRL Indigenous All Stars clash, won’t appear for a game at Wade Park in 2016.

He missed Oberon’s clash with Hawks in round six with a hamstring injury.

Christie-Johnson’s high-flying Tigers have averaged, he says, over 1200 people through the gate at home games this year thanks mainly to the club’s resurgence up the ladder and Rose’s drawing power.

“I reckon a third of the crowd comes just to see George play as well,” Christie-Johnson said.

“He’s obviously got the affinity with Bathurst having played his junior footy there, and a large number of people travel up to watch him.

“He’s got a big family too, and most of them come to watch him and his brothers [Trent and Matt] play as well.”

Both Trent and Matt Rose played in CYMS’ premiership-winning side last season.

Given that, and the fact the Tigers knocked off the defending premiers 20-18 in round one, green and golds boss Dave Penny believes even though George won’t be on the field, the masses will still turn up in their droves on Sunday, June 19.

“It is disappointing he won’t be there, yes,” Penny said.

“But we’ve got a great following … I’d be expecting the supporters and players will be there to help reverse that round one result.

“We’ll have a big old boys contingent there so it’ll still be a great crowd.”

With both sides in the running for semi-finals, Rose could make an appearance at Wade Park in the post season if the Tigers travel to play CYMS in September.

This story Administrator ready to work first appeared on Nanjing Night Net.